Amos 8:11 “ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:”
If there was ever a time in our history when men needed to hear and heed the Word of God, it is today. If there ever was a time when the preacher needed to proclaim the “whole counsel of God”, it is today instead, there is a famine in the land. Folks who used to love to come to church in here God’s word preached, no longer care for it. People who used to be able to quote passages of scripture without hesitation, can hardly find the books of the Bible. Why? Because the average church member has no hunger for spiritual things anymore. Evidence of this is our evening attendance. Evidence of this is the cold, blank, ignorant stare the preacher gets when preaching on the simple, basic doctrines of the Bible.
The church member who reveals a deep calmer sincere hunger for Bible preaching is the exception to the rule now a days. Some churches have gone into the entertainment business. They put on a show for those who come. Other churches have a great giveaway schemes, giving prizes to those who attend, in order to show a big attendance for the day.
God forbid! If the Word of God isn’t enough to bring god’s people to the house of God, nothing else should be used in its place. What we need is not a change of our church services, but a change of heart. We don’t need entertainment in our churches, we need old-fashioned hell fire and brimstone preaching, and a dedicated, consecrated, and repentant congregation to take the words into their heart. Church members who think they are doing God a favor by being in church need to wake up to the fact that it is a precious privilege to hear God’s word proclaimed, and to be careful not to be caught up in the great famine of the day: a famine of the Word of God.